Inland Valley News, the Community and NAEJA Wants Answers from Walmart
Walmart Store on Rio Rancho Road in Pomona
Upland, CA– Inland Valley News would like to thank the community, civic and social organizations, individuals, corporations and churches for their support in resolving our newspaper distribution situation at the Pomona Walmart store.
The Inland Valley and Inland Empire communities have come to the aid of the Inland Valley News in our letter writing campaign to the Walmart corporation and its executives. Letters and calls of support have been circulating throughout the community.
Royce Esters, President of the National Association for Equal Justice in America (NAEJA) said, “We are concerned that this complimentary African American newspaper that is read by African Americans shoppers of Walmart are not given the opportunity to pick up copies anymore for no explained reason. We would like to sit down with the executives and talk directly to them. We need some type of dialogue.”
Esters led a community forum at the office of the Inland Valley News last month to address the issue with Walmart. One of the suggestions that came out of that meeting was to set a timeline for a response and begin a massive letter writing campaign to aid the executives in making a decision to place the Inland Valley News back in the Walmart.
“Is Walmart socially responsive to the African American community? Do they support the community? The community needs to really look into their hiring practices and their non-profit support. We have to get the cities and counties involved such as San Bernardino, Riverside, Orange County and other media outlets,” stated Esters.
The Inland Valley Newspaper truly appreciates the support and responses we have received concerning our letter writing campaign in the removal of our newspapers at the Pomona Walmart store. We still solicit the assistance of the community. Continue your letters, phone calls, emails and visits to the store in support of this newspaper. Again, thank you and we will keep you informed of any resolve in this matter.
Written below is the sample letter and addresses to send to Walmart Executives. If you are one of the 2000 people who were picking up the papers at the Pomona store or you are sensitive to the plight of the Inland Valley News please write a letter of support.
Listed below is a sample letter:
Dear________________
I am writing this support letter on behalf of the Inland Valley News. I am a Walmart shopper. As a shopper of your store and one who would get my copy of the Inland Valley News from the Pomona, CA, store I wanted to let you know how I felt about the newspapers being taken from the store.
It is an inconvenience for me to not be able to get the newspaper from where I shop and the circumstances upon which the papers were removed causes me some concern about your commitment to the African American community.
I am respectfully requesting that Walmart listen to the concerns of the community members who patron your Pomona Walmart and that the Inland Valley Newspapers are placed back in the Pomona store.
Respectfully,
Mail this letter and e-mail it to the executives as well. Please e-mail a courtesy copy to editor@inlandvalleynews.com. We truly appreciate your help and support in this matter. Our voices will be heard.
Corporate and E-mail addresses for Walmart Executives:
Michael Bender, EVP and President, Walmart West, 4127 E. Van Buren Ste. 250 Phoenix, AZ 85008
Michael.bender@wal-mart.com
Leslie Dach, EVP Corporate Affairs, 702 SW 8th Street, Bentonville, AR 72716; L1dach@wal-mart.com
Margaret Sans, VP Public Affairs, 702 SW 8th Street, Bentonville, AR 72716; Maggie.sans@wal-mart.com
Sivo Aisabonghi, Store Manager, Pomona Walmart, 80 Rio Rancho Road, Pomona, CA 91766
Jerry Spencer; Jerry.spencer@wal-mart.com
Kimberly Sentovich; Kimberly.sentovich@wal-mart.com